Life Skills Students Craft College Bracelets For Walt Whitman HS Grads

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Walt Whitman High School students with disabilities in the Life Skills program are creating custom college bracelets for their school's graduates, the school district announced.

The bead bracelets feature college's school colors plus the name of the college or university the senior will be attending in the fall. The Life Skills students are using their daily vocational skills training class to make the bracelets and get them ready for delivery through the end of the school year.

The district’s Life Skills program is for students with mild to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down Syndrome and autism, and/or physical disabilities, the school district wrote. They learn vocational and other skills, in addition to academics, that will allow them to become an active part of their community.

"They may not get the chance to go to college themselves but their teachers say this helps them to be part of the celebration," the district stated.

To the Life Skills students, creating the bracelets is more than an arts and crafts program. Since everything done in the Life Skills program is used as a "teachable moment," the project is being run like a business with order forms, spreadsheets, order intake, and even a production manager. After the bracelets are created, they’re packaged individually and sealed with a "Made with Love" sticker personalized by the Life Skills students.

Members of the Life Skills class are surprising some graduates with personal in-class bracelet deliveries during the month of May. Whitman students can also order custom bracelets for $5. All the money raised goes back into the Life Skills class to fund future projects.

"This is the first year for this endeavor and it’s been so successful, they now plan to do it annually," the district wrote.